Reducing Ritualistic Behavior in Children with Autism Using a Transfer Stimulus

Robert L. Koegel, Jane Talebi, & Lynn Kern Koegel

The current study investigates the effects of a transfer stimulus on ritualistic behavior in three children with autism. Specifically, the study seeks to discover whether a counting intervention used in conjunction with a competing reinforcer can effectively facilitate a child's transition away from the object of ritualistic interest to another object. Prior to intervention, all three children demonstrated high levels of interest towards the preferred stimulus and little interest in other objects. In addition, all three children showed high levels of disruptive behavior upon leaving the favored object. Initial data indicate that implementation of this intervention does significantly increase a child's ability to transition calmly away from the preferred object to another stimulus. Initial data also show that the effects of the intervention may generalize to other ritualistic behaviors in the child's routine.